


The Black Nightmare

by Adderbane



Category: Jackie Chan Adventures
Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Friends, Forced Bonding, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 07:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4010842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adderbane/pseuds/Adderbane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Drago and Shendu cast into the Demon Netherworld, a new, greater evil rises to fill the void. As in all incidents of magical nature, Jade, her family, friends, and Section 13 are pulled into the heart of the struggle. Old friends must battle ancient enemies, and the fate of all hinges on a young girl and an unwilling ally who cannot be trusted. Not good odds...even for Jade...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Loose Threads

**Author's Note:**

> I created this story because I was unhappy with the way the TV show ended. There were a few loose ends, plot holes (many of a temporal nature), and interesting ideas that could have been explored much further. This is my attempt to do so. I apologize for not being the best of writers, and I will likely update this story very irregularly, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. I would appreciate reviews, as it's rather depressing to write a story no one's interested in.
> 
> Thank you. :)

  
     Section 13 certainly was efficient. The baseball stadium was surrounded by vehicles, of every shape and size, and the whole place just swarmed with agents. Some were working to undo the damage Drago wreaked in his battle with Shendu, others were unloading supplies to continue the clean-up. Jade Chan knew that outside, many more people ringed the facility, directing inquisitive residents and passers-by away from the stadium. She even knew that footage from the security cameras were being "modified" by Viper to eliminate all traces of the battle; she'd tried to watch, until her uncle had dragged her away.

  
      Jade sighed, and looked to where Jackie, Captain Black, and Uncle were huddled together, discussing something. Probably how to destroy any evidence she could use to prove her stories about their adventures were true. Oh well... She thought, The "petting zoo" fiasco, was enough to end Drew's teasing, and that was the worst part. She wished they would let her in on the conversation at least. This had gone from being the-most-epic-J-Team-battle-ever-kicking-demon-butt awesome, to "sit quiet and wait"-while-everything-cool-is taken-care-of-by-adults boring!

     Someone tapped her on the shoulder, she spun around, it was Tohru. "You look bored," he commented, "perhaps we can find some way to help?"

     "Tch, uncle Jackie's won't let me do anything interesting, and he's probably going to arrange a ride back to the base, or the shop any moment now. At least there's food there...I'm starved..."

     Tohru grinned, and held out a bag, "Cracker Jacks? Since Section 13's cleaning up everything, I'd think the park could spare some snacks. And you could go look after Mordecai and Egbert. Jackie can hardly object to that."

     She took the proffered bag with a grin, and he opened a can of grape soda. "Thanks." Jade began munching on the tasty clumps of popcorn, and turned towards second base, where the pig was snuffling at the dirt, with the rooster sitting proudly on his back. Watching them wouldn't be very interesting either, but at least it was something. She kicked at one of the blocky, angular stones half-buried in the sandy dirt--odd that, baseball fields didn't usually have any--and flipped it out of the ground.

     Jade's breath froze in her throat. A red-enameled dragon emblem glinted up at her.

     The Dragon Talisman.

     Suddenly, the presence of other similar-looking rocks scattered around the base took on new significance, but how to collect them without anyone noticing, or wondering what she was doing? "Hmmm..."

     Jade looked up at Mordecai, smiled slyly, then tossed a handful of her Cracker Jacks on the ground. Sensing food, Egbert flapped down from his perch and strutted towards her, with the pig waddling behind. Jade bent down, patting her porcine friend with one hand, while prying another Talisman from the ground. The Ox. Mordecai and Egbert consumed all the food in the time it took her to acquire the Sheep and Dog, but, showing glimmers of the intelligence that had marked him out from millions of his kind to receive the power of the Pig, Mordecai began to snuffle in the dirt. Pigs are excellent diggers, and in no time at all, they had unearthed all twelve between them.

     Why they weren't carried into the Demon Netherworld with Shendu she had no idea. But they were here, the dragon-demon wasn't, and she was NOT going to complain. She stowed a couple in each of her pockets, including the concealed one inside the Section 13-style jacket Captain Black had given her for her birthday last year. The rest were buried in the bag underneath her remaining Cracker Jacks. Jade straightened up, patting the disturbed dirt down with one foot.

     She turned, tucking the bag under one arm, and shuffled back towards the group, where the discussion was becoming more animated. Well...at least Uncle was becoming animated...

     "Can you guarantee, though, that the Talismans are not coming back, because last time I thought they were destroyed it was just more trouble," inquired Captain Black.

     "Aieyaa! Did you not seee Shendu fall into Abyss?!" retorted Uncle, "You are not blind, yeees? Talismans have gone with him!! Do you not liiisten?!" He sounded as if he had made this point at least twice already. Jade put on her best innocent face, even though no one was looking at her.

     "Uncle, please, try to calm down," pleaded Jackie, "Captain Black is just wanting to have some peace of mind."

     "Piece of mind?! I'll give him piece of Uncle!!"

     "Uh...excuse me for a moment," the head of Section 13 turned aside, and gazed into the distance, speaking with someone through his earpiece, "Black here...yes...affirmative...good.

     They'll be out momentarily." He turned back to Jackie, looking relieved, "The car to take Paco, Jade, and Uncle back to headquarters just arrived. It's outside the south entrance."

     "Thank you," Jackie turned around, "Jade, it's past your bedt--"

     "I heard," Jade yawned, "And it's a school night, so I'd should probably go."

     "No argu--" Jackie stopped short, "You don't want to stay?"

     "And do what? It's so boooring here with all the demons gone."

     "Uh..."

     "See you tomorrow uncle Jackie!" Jade turned to go, picking up Supermoose from where he lay in a seat that had been in the stands this afternoon but was now closer to first base. "You know Mr. Moose they ought to give you a medal, you've fought Shadowkahn, Dark Chi Warriors, Demons...and you're just a big plush toy Tohru won at a fair!" She tucked it under her arm, and headed off to find her ride home.

     Jackie watched her go, "Is it just me or is Jade acting odd-- Ow!"

     Uncle had delivered his signature two-fingered forehead strike, "Jade is exhausted; she knows she must go home and sleep. Has good sense, like Uncle." He followed after the girl, muttering to himself.

 

     Just before crawling into bed, Jade reached under her dresser, and pried up a loose floorboard. She'd used it to stash all manner of things she wasn't really supposed to have, but this had to beat just about everything. She deposited her "Cracker Jacks" carefully inside. She fell asleep with a huge smile on her face. The future looked bright indeed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

     A hunched man in a dark cloak crept through the hallways of a castle. The moon shone through the huge windows, clearly illuminating the hall. Strange swirling patterns covered them, and seemed to writhe and twist in the moonlight, but the man took no heed. He passed into a corridor, and lifted his hand. A ball of pale shadow formed. It somehow gave off a sickly, blue glow that could only nominally be called "light". He pushed the hood back from his face, revealing a wizened face, white hair, gray skin, mismatched eyes, and evil-looking tattoos. The front of his cloak parted slightly, and, if anyone had been there to see, they would have noticed a sword hanging from his waist. A straight, shining sword, with a hilt of gold and black leather. The man looked down the corridor, then started along it.

     Daolong Wong, as he called himself--though that was not his true name of course--could barely keep from grinning with pleasure. Soo close, he thought, So close to the Circlet...He quickened his pace. Power at last lay within his grasp again. They would all pay. The cursed Chan. Thrice-cursed wizard. The meddling brat. All of them. His only regret was that Lo Pei was beyond his grasp. A thousand curses on that theif! He stopped suddenly, and pressed a hand to his forehead. His gray eye throbbed like a heartbeat. The old, old wound...so much pain...and darkness...but immortality...and power...a price worth paying a thousand times over. It had saved him so many times, mostly from death, the swift river of time that eroded his body, but could not sweep his soul away like all others. And recently, trapped in that hellish, ever-shifting nightmare of the Deja Vu Stone, the Eye had Awoken within him, and brought him back, it had granted knowledge as well, information that had led to this place, this night. Even now, he could feel it, a dark miasma on the edge of consciousness, ancient power, incredible malevolence. A price worth paying. He continued on. One of his hands stroked the sword hilt. A toy, really, compared with what he was about to gain, but he had already lost so often before by neglecting the little things, and the sword was powerful. And it brought back memories. Memories so old that he could barely recall them without the sword to remind him.

     He entered a round chamber. The roof was a clear dome, and the moonlight made the wall shine like silver. It was covered with characters in the language of ancient China. Actually, "China" had been far, far into the future when these characters were used, but it was the same part of the world, and there was resemblance. Dalong Wong did not think there was anyone else who knew the tongue. He strode across the chamber, and touched one mark among thousands. The one for "power". Some people were too predictable, and not just humans. There was a flash of lurid red light, and a small receptacle appeared, chiseled into the wall where the symbol had been. Within it, untouched for millennia, sat a black silk cushion. And on the cushion, a ovular loop of braided gold wires. A golden claw reached up from one point of the oval, as if to grab and hold something. That would come later, but now the Circlet was his. Daolong Wong laughed, a harsh, cackling laugh. He lifted the crown and held it high.

     "By the Circlet of Kemreswet, I name myself Emperor of All," he lowered it onto his brow and cackled again as if he had made a joke. There was a fell light in his eyes, but if anyone had witnessed his self-coronation they would have only noticed the gray one. It burned with dark fire. Power undreamed of would be his! It had been foretold! The future would belong to the darkness.


	2. Chapter One: Two Kinds of Freedom

     Strikemaster Ice was sleeping in his cell when the guards came. He was quite surprised to be woken up. He was in solitary confinement for fighting with another inmate, and wasn't expecting anything happening until dinner. He was even more surprised when the guard handcuffed him, and pulled him to his feet. A few more waited outside the cell, and they were armed. An escort suitable for a high security prisoner such as himself being moved somewhere else, another surprise. Ice did not like surprises anymore. Not since the incident at the baseball field...

     The guards led him towards the secure entrance. So he was being moved to another facility. Someone must have decided that he wasn't such a risk; bad judgment on their part. He wouldn't miss ADX Florence, but it was a pity he wouldn't see DJ Fist and MC Cobra anymore. There was a armored van parked outside the door. He entered, and was both surprised and relieved to see his two friends inside. That was odd. There was something more to this than a simple transfer. Even the most dim-witted clerk knew enough not to put known associates together. That was just _asking_ for trouble. Ice would be happy to oblige them, given the opportunity.

     He looked at Fist, "Sup, bro? You know anythin' 'bout what all this's for?"

     One of the guards shoved him towards a seat with handcuffs hanging next to it, "No talking!" He proceeded to secure the criminal, then sat down opposite, holding a Taser, with three other similarly equipped guards. Strikemaster Ice stole a glance at his two friends. MC Cobra shrugged; obviously he had no idea what was going on either.

     They drove for some time. The guards never moved a hair nor spoke, though if Ice didn't know better he'd have said they were dazed, or half-asleep, or something. They seemed to be climbing, and then they stopped. The doors opened, and the guards led his friends out of the van. When Ice was unlocked from his seat, he briefly considered attacking the guards and fighting his way out, but dazed or no, they looked just about ready to use the Tasers, and he had no intention of getting shot by one, it was rather painful to say the least...

     He was truly dumbfounded when he saw they were in the middle of nowhere. Trees lined the road where they had stopped, and to the right was a sweeping view of a great valley. Somewhere in the mountains then, but why?

     Then he saw him. A hunched figure, a dark cloak covering his body, the hood shading his face. Ice had the uncomfortable feeling of being stared at. There was something menacing about the stare, like something horrible was about to happen, and there was nothing to do but wait for it. The guards stood in front of the man, and he pushed the hood back.

     Ice flinched. The man was unimaginably old, and tattoos covered his face in grotesque patterns. On his brow rested a gleaming golden circlet. And his eyes, his eyes were almost glowing with a mad intensity, and yet, there was an aura of authority about the man. Ice felt the urge to kneel. He didn't of course.

     The man spoke to the guards, "Excellent. It seems that there _are_ those who can follow orders. Here is my final command. Go back, and forget everything you've done today. Remember _nothing_." He waved his hand and muttered something that Ice couldn't make out. The guards turned, climbed into the truck, and drove off, leaving Cobra, Fist, and Ice alone with the strange man.

     The man turned to them, "And you, my friends, have a decision to make. You saw how easy I enslaved those fools to my will. I will soon have the power to make the world kneel at my feet; but I will need servants I can rely on not to fail me. I have heard wonderful things about you three..."

     "Yo man, spit it out, 'cause we don't have all day."

     The man stiffened, obviously offended by the interruption, "Silence! I am Daolong Wong! You will serve me! I will reward you with power beyond your dreams! BUT YOU WILL OBEY ME!" The space around the man became shadowy, as if the light itself shied away from him. Ice, edged backward, eyeing Fist and Cobra. He was fairly certain they could defeat this "Wong" together, if they surprised him, but if he attacked, and they didn't join in he would be in trouble. Seeing they were staring at Daolong Wong with something approaching awe, Strikemaster Ice decided they wouldn't help.

     "Man, we've heard all this from a lot more impressive dude than you, so why should we agree?"

     Wong smiled, and lifted his hand, "I suppose a gift of goodwill is in order. Gaan! Chui! Ruen!" Blue smoke billowed from him, and enveloped the trio of former prisoners. Ice's skin burned like fire. He waved his arms, trying to clear it away, and stopped short when he saw himself. His skin had darkened to a deep orange, with black patterns twining around his muscles.

     "What'd you do to me?!"

     "Yo yo yo, check it out, man!" MC Cobra appeared out of the mist, similarly transformed, with a strange weapon, like a three sided boomerang with steel blades. Even stranger, it was hovering and spinning without any contact from Cobra himself, "This is so sick! Where's yours?"

     Strikemaster Ice looked down at his feet. A long staff lay on the ground. He held out his hand, and it flew up to him. "Drago ain't got nothing on this. Super Ice is in the hizzouse!"

     "Indeed," The mist flew away, revealing DJ Fist hefting a huge war hammer, and Daolong Wong, who was smiling smugly, "My Dark Chi Warriors are far superior to whatever sort of dragon minions he made you into. I just hope _you_ are up to the responsibility. My last set of servants were woefully incompetent."

     "So, what's all this for?"

     "I told you. I am going to rule the world, and you are going to assist me. You will also have ample opportunity to take revenge on the man named Jackie Chan."

     "Huh?"

     "I see that got your attention. I will take you to my fortress, and explain what you are going to do. You are familiar with his niece, Jade, correct?"

     "Uh, yeah boss, um...where is this fortress?"

     Daolong Wong turned his head up, "Behind the North Wind."

**~~~~~~~~~~**

_The hastily erected barricade blew into a thousand burning fragments that rained down on the men crouching behind it. Before the afterimage of the blast had faded away, a figure leapt through the gap. Jade Chan tucked the Dragon Talisman into its pocket in her black Section 13 jumpsuit, and rolled past the men before they could see clearly. She took the back two out immediately with swift kicks to the small of their backs, knocking the wind out of them. Another went down to her fist as he turned to see what had felled his companions. By that time, dozens of agents were flooding through the barricade after their fearless leader. She turned and headed deeper into the vault. Her men would mop that group up easily. More enemies sprang up in her path, and she jumped, twisted, slid, and dodged around all their attacks, dealing powerful strikes to take them out without slowing down for an instanct. The real foe lay at the end of the passage; her old nemesis._

_Bartholomew Chang straightened from speaking with a technician trying to open the final chamber of the vault. "I don't care what you do, just get it open!"_

_He turned, and Jade stopped, balancing on the balls of her feet. "Well, well, well...if it isn't the little girl...you're all grown up now, aren't you? Or would you go like to play somewhere safer?"_

_"You're one to talk," she retorted, gesturing about knee-height, "Last time I saw you, you were only so high, did you enjoy kindergarten?"_

_Chang's face reddened, and he looked over her shoulder, "I don't see the J-Team here, why don't you fetch them while I finish cracking this safe? There're some exquisite jade specimens within I've had my eye on, but it'd be a pity if there's no one who can even try to stop me."_

_"Tch! I don't need the J-Team to deal with you anymore, and I wouldn't want to spoil Jackie's vacation for you if I did! In case you didn't know, I was the mind behind the team from its beginning! And the only piece of Jade you'll get today is my fist when it connects with your jaw!"_

_"I hope that your feet are as quick as your wit, or else this fight will not be as interesting as I anticipated. I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time." Chang dropped into a fighting stance of his own, "Well? Are you going to talk until someone arrives to save you, or can we get started?"_

_Jade charged. Chang swiped at her with his stone hand, a clenched fist today, luckily this one did not seem to have razors or anything. She slid underneath his arm, and sprang up as he pivoted, using the momentum of his swing to bring his foot around at her head. She deftly stepped over it, and delivered a two-fingered strike to his head, "I learned that from my Uncle!"_

_Her opponent whirled furiously, and she grabbed his good wrist, "I learned this from aunt Viper!" She twisted it behind his back and kicked him in the back of his knees. He folded like a house of cards. "And this from EL TORO FUERTE!"_

_Jade dashed away, leapt into the air, pushed off the wall, and hurtled down towards where Chang lay on his back. He screamed, and held up his arms to protect his head. Suddenly, she stopped, hovering in midair. "Haha...I sooo hope my shouldercam caught that...priceless..."_

_He stared up, dumbfounded, "How..."_

_She waved the Rooster Talisman in front of his face, "With a little help from my feathered friend. Be glad I didn't set my moose on you." She replaced the Rooster in her utility belt, and drew forth the Dragon. "Game over. How about you toss your built-in club away and put your real hand over your head, or would you like to guess what THIS one does."_

_He considered for a moment, then, scowling up at her, slowly detached his stone hand from its socket. Suddenly he grinned triumphantly and pointed the connecting pin of the hand at her. It was hollowed out. A secret gun._

_There was the crack of a gunshot, and Jade dropped out of the air, clutching at her chest. She landed half-on a crate, and lay limply, her head lolling. Chang stood, and rolled her on to her back, "NOW it's Game Ov-"_

_Her full-armed slap, fueled by much more than ordinary human strength, sent him flying across the room, where he lay still, out cold. Jade sat up and inspected her uniform. Not even torn. "Forgot to mention I'm immortal, sorry!"_

_The other Section 13 agents came into view just as she stood. Her second-in-command saluted, "Building is secure, Captain, all of Chang's men are in custody." Behind Jade, there was a hiss as the luckless safecracker finally managed to open the door, "except for him," the agent added._

_The technician turned to Jade and spoke in a strange, rather womanly voice, "so now that we've added like terms, who knows how to proceed? Jade, you've been awfully quiet, what do you think?"_

     Reality returned, and Jade blinked, trying to recall what had been going on before her mind started wandering. She was in her math class...that was it...Mrs. Hartman was looking at her expectantly, and so was much of the class. She realized she was supposed to answer, "Uh...subtract?" she guessed.

     "Subtract what?"

     Jade glanced at her rather meager notes, then up at the blackboard and picked a number at random from the equation, "Three...?"

     "Excellent, Jade. See? You can do the math, if you pay attention," the teacher turned back to the board, and began explaining. "Now remember, what you do to one side of the equation, you must do to the other..." Her words were soon reduced to a buzzing in Jade's ears as she lost focus again, and began to stare into the distance. Pre-algebra was so...well...ordinary. Everyone learned math...she wanted Jackie to be teaching her his amazing martial art skills, or learning Chi magic from Tohru and Uncle, though that was unlikely...

     At least it was Friday. That fact had something to do with her inability to concentrate. She'd made a goal to stay out of trouble and bring her grades up to keep Jackie in a good mood. It'd be harder for him to complain if she wanted to come on some archeological trip, or even one of his Section 13 assignments from Captain Black, and at the very least keep her relatively out of trouble when she just _happened_ to turn up.

     That resolution was being strained to the limit though. At least there were only fifteen minutes or so of class left...she'd just figure out the lesson on Sunday afternoon...

     What seemed like at least an hour later, the bell finally rang for the end of school. Jade gathered up her stuff, and ran for the door. Only a few hallways between her and the weekend, and they didn't take long to run down. She came out the main entrance, and paused to take in the sense of weights lifting from her mind. Catching sight of three familiar caps pushing through the students milling around in the courtyard, she ran to catch up. "Hey! Frank! Charlie! What's with the uniforms?"

     The trio paused and looked back, "There's a Dragon Scouts meeting, at the park in twenty minutes, didn't you know?" asked Frank.

     "What? No one said anything! I didn't even get an e-mail!"

     "Heh, well, you'd better go get your stuff, because you know how much the Dragonleader likes it when you're late." Charlie had the bill of his cap pulled low over his eyes, making him somehow oddly resemble both the beast and his uncle Chow. "We're doing the annual fitness competition: obstacle course, dodge ball, all sorts of stuff."

     "We're doing the first really cool event since I joined, and NO ONE TOLD ME?!"

     "You know now..."

     "Aargh! See you there!" Jade turned and ran back into the school. With luck, she could grab her uniform from her locker, change, and be at the park in time. What she wouldn't give to have the Rabbit Talisman though...

     Jade decided she could get along fine without it though, as she emerged ten minutes later into the now empty courtyard. She was totally going to win this. With all the cool moves Jackie had showed her, she bet she would be the most kick-butt dodgeballer in the Scouts.

     As she took a shortcut down an alley two blocks from the park, Jade was so engrossed in envisioning her imminent victory that she didn't hear the rush of air behind her.

     Abruptly, pain exploded in the back of her head. She saw stars, and stumbled forward. She had only enough time to realize she was falling upwards, not down, and an instant to ponder the mysterious cessation of gravity before she blacked out.


	3. Chapter Two: Phoning Home

     The door to Captain Black's office burst open violently. On reflex, he spun away from the cabinet he was retrieving files from, slid across the office on his desk chair, and reached for his handgun. Luckily he saw who it was before he got any farther. Jackie slumped against his desk, gasping for breath and holding his ribs, he must've been running hard, "Jackie, what is it?"

     Jackie Chan looked up, "Jade didn't...show up at Dragon Scouts...went looking for her, and found..." he stammered in between gasps. Unable to explain and breath at the same time, he tossed a crumpled cloth shape onto Black's desk. A Dragon Scout's cap.

     Captain Black turned it over in his hands. Jade's name was written in Sharpie on a tag inside, and there was a dark stain that anyone with any experience would instantly recognize as dried blood. He reached over and pressed the intercom button on his desk phone, "Kepler, Jade Chan is missing. I want the coordinates from the GPS on her cell phone, pronto."

     There was a short pause before the response, "Right-o, boss. Just let me power down my entangled quantum-"

     "Just get it done!" Interrupted Black. He looked back at Jackie, "I'm sure we'll find her. Do you have any more information? Have you notified the police yet?"

     Jackie shook his head, "Not a thing. I called the police though; they were searching the alley when I left, nothing found yet. Uncle and Tohru are trying to make some sort of locator spell, but they didn't seem to optimistic...something about duck eggs not being in season..."

     Black put a hand on his friend's shoulder, "How about you go get something to eat while I get this mess straightened out? I'll call you if there's any news of her."

     As Jackie stumbled towards the door, a dazed look in his eyes, he paused and turned, "What if we can't find her, what if she's dead?"

     "Listen, Jackie, if she was murdered, someone would have found her body by now, or if it was taken whoever did it wouldn't have left her cap behind. She's been kidnapped, and whoever did it wants us to know it. I suspect one of the criminals you have helped us thwart in the past few years is behind it. We just need some information to go after them, and then we'll find her, I promise."

     "So you think she's alright?"

     "Trust me, Jackie, Jade's resourceful, and I bet whoever's responsible is really regretting it about now. So, you go eat and let me handle the investigation..."

**~~~~~~~~~~**

     Her head throbbed. Jade reached a hand back and massaged the back of her skull. She could feel a lump the size of a baseball, and something slightly sticky matting her hair. Her back ached, and she was lying on what felt like stone; really cold stone. Everything was dark, and she realized she still had her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them, and after a few moments she made out a low ceiling of pale gray stone. Jade sat up, and peered at her hand; the stickiness was blood, but judging from the color it was pretty much dried. Yuck.

     She glanced around, to see where she was. Her backpack lay in a corner; good. The room was all unbroken gray stone, carved with intricate patterns of loops and swirls, except on one side which was open except for some sort of metal grate and opened onto what looked like a corridor. It took a few moments for her dazed brain to work out what it was. A jail cell; not good. She sat up in a more comfortable position against the wall. Jade could vaguely recall the alley where she had blacked out, or been knocked out, as seemed more likely now. Who had done it? Where was she now?

     Footsteps sounded in the corridor outside the cell. Jade flopped onto her back in what she hoped was a good approximation of her previous pose, but watched the entrance to her cell with one half-open eye. A dark orange-skinned being carrying a huge hammer walked by, peered in, and continued on. Jade barely maintained her sleeping facade. A Dark Chi Warrior...that could only mean Daolong Wong! But he was gone; lost in time with the Déjà Vu stone!

     Unfortunately, it seemed the dark sorcerer had somehow manage to make his way back. Jade wondered what he was planning to do, and why he wanted with her. She didn't plan on staying around long enough to find out though. As soon as the footsteps had faded, she crawled over to her backpack. One advantage to being kidnapped by crazy old sorcerers practically from the Stone Age; her cell phone was still inside, and it looked undamaged. She powered it on and held it up. The first bar on the signal meter flickered, vanished, and then reappeared. She smiled; time to call for backup.

**~~~~~~~~~~**

     Jackie Chan stirred his coffee aimlessly, gazing into its brown, murky depths. An untouched sandwich lay on a plate next to his elbow. He looked up at the clock; surely _someone_ must have found _something_ by now...

     He started up as Captain Black entered, carrying a folder. His friend sat down opposite Jackie, but one look at his face told Jackie there wasn't going to be much good news. "Is s-she...?"

     Captain Black opened the folder, "She's most likely still alive, but there are some anomalies I think you should know," he removed a sheet and peered at it, "Her phone is still transmitting, but we were unable to pinpoint the location. The signal is too weak, or so I'm told. Kepler said that's not quite right and had some theories, but he started talking about electromagnetic shielding and how it would affect the signal and lost me there...then he started going on about transdimensional boundary surfaces...I was totally lost...but the important thing is, he says it can still receive calls!"

     Jackie pulled out his cell phone, "Why didn't you say something sooner!?"

     Captain Black put a hand out and stopped him, "Wait a moment, we don't want to call her. _She_ needs to call _us_."

     "Huh?"

     "Think of it this way, if Jade has her phone, she'll call as soon as she gets a chance. If she doesn't have it she won't be able to answer anyway. If she has it and _we_ call, whoever kidnapped her might realize she has it, and take it away. So the only thing to do is wait, and try to follow up on the other leads."

     That grabbed Jackie's attention, "Other leads?"

     Black chose another sheet, "I pulled a string or two and got the investigator reporting directly to me, and had some specialists come in. There are some really strange things about the tracks. The tracks indicate that someone hit her from behind and she didn't see it coming at all, but there's absolutely NO trace of whatever hit her. No tracks, not any disturbed gravel other than what Jade did. There's not any trace of her hitting the ground either, for that matter."

     "So something appears from nowhere, hits Jade in the head hard enough to bleed, knocks her hat off, and they both vanish into thin air?"

     "Something like that."

     "That's crazy!"

     "Not entirely. It's possible someone could have nabbed her from above if they were agile enough. Swing or climb down on a rope as she passes, hits her, and hoists her back up."

     Jackie tried to imagine how one would do such a stunt, and couldn't quite picture it. He frowned, "It'd take a very skilled person to do it."

     Captain Black leaned forward, "This brings me to my other lead. There's only three people I know of that could pull that off who aren't accounted for. The so-called Strikemaster Ice and his cronies."

     "Huh? I thought they were in prison! High-security!"

     "They were, at least until this morning. Some guards removed them and left with them in a prisoner transport. They had all the proper authorization and clearances, so no one questioned them. Later, they came back, without Ice or his friends."

     "What is this?! Some sort of conspiracy?"

     "Perhaps. The odd thing is, the guards deny the event even took place, and every single one of them passed a lie-detector test. I'm having a couple flown here for your uncle to look at...all things considered with Ice's history, we can't rule out magic being involved here."

     "So there may be an evil sorcerer, who knows enough to free Ice's crew, probably to serve as minions, and who wants Jade for unknown purposes? Why do I get the feeling there's some sort of artifact hunt looming..."

     Captain Black scratched his head, "I sincerely hope not...we've had a ridiculous number of magic items turning up the past few years...there HAS to be some end to it."

     Jackie stood up, and started to pace around the table, frustrated, "What are we going to do? Just sit here?! Jade could be in grave danger! Probably is, knowing her..."

     "I've done what I can to locate her, and information may come at any instant. What we do is be ready when it does."

     "I hope that's soon!"

     Uncle was so intent, poring over an old volume of chi wizardry, that he almost didn't hear the phone ringing. He looked up, startled by the noise, and glanced back at the book, irritated. His entire train of thought, gone; and he had little time for such nonsense. With a sigh, he picked up the receiver, "Uncle's Rare Finds, how may I help you?"

    "Hi, Uncle! What's up? Is Jackie there?"

     Uncle almost dropped the phone in shock, "JAADE! Where have you beeeen?! You frighten everyone to death with worry!"

     Her reply was rather terse, "Well, duh, you should be worried, considering I'm being held in a _dungeon_ by DARK CHI WARRIORS!"

     "One more th-dark chi?...Aiyah!" Uncle turned and stretched into the study as far as the phone's cord would allow. "TOHRU! Get Jackieee!"

     "What is it Sensei?" Uncle's massive apprentice glanced up from another text; former apprentice, actually.

     "Jade on phone. Wants to talk to him," The old man put the phone back to his ear, "Explain, Jade. What's going on?"

     "I was going to Dragon Scouts, and got ambushed, knocked out, and woke up here."

     "Where is "here"?"

     "Uhh...I have no idea. GPS isn't working, I can barely get a signal at all."

     "Nevermind. What about Dark Chi warriors?"

     "I saw one; Daolong Wong, or someone like him must be involved."

     Tohru ducked back in, "Jackie says he'll be here in ten minutes."

     Uncle related this bit of information to Jade, who paused for a moment before replying, "When he gets here, tell him his cell phone's turned off, and he's got about a million voice messages from me."


	4. Chapter Three: A Trade

     Very shortly afterwards, a very frazzled looking Jackie Chan, Uncle, Tohru, and Captain Black, who was trying to issue orders and listen to the conversation at the same time, were all crowded around the registry counter in Uncle's shop.

     Captain Black set up a small recording device, "Okay, Jade, let's hear it from the beginning."

     "Okeydokers, so I was heading off to meet my boyfriend..."

      Jackie jumped a foot in the air, "You have a boyfriend?!"

     "Hehe, no. Just making sure you're awake uncle Jackie! Anyway, I was heading to a Dragon Scouts meeting; I was late, so I took a shortcut through the alley three blocks south of the school. Something hit me in the back of the head, and I woke up in what looks like a castle dungeon. Cold, dark, ancient, torches, bars and big locks...everything. After a while, I saw a dark Chi warrior pass the cell; probably means Daolong Wong is back. I played unconscious and he didn't check. They left my stuff with me, and my phone had a signal, so here we are."

     Black stroked his chin, "Hmm...I was hoping you'd have more info..."

     "Aha!" Jackie snapped his fingers excitedly, "Jade, I bet if you describe the architecture I can probably identify where in the world you are, roughly!"

     "Hmm...what sort of things should I look at?"

     "Uh, arches, carvings, anything that would take engineering or art."

     A long way away Jade stood up, ignoring a painful cramp in her calf muscle and hobbled to the wall. The surface was engraved with chiseled whorls and loops in a strange, but definite pattern, "Well, we've got this weird swirly pattern carved into the stone."

     Jackie frowned, "What do you mean by, "swirly"?"

     Jade scratched her head, "Like...er...how about I just send you a picture on your phone?"

     "You can do that?"

     She rolled her eyes and navigated to the camera app on her phone, "Welcome to the twenty-first century, Uncle Jackie."

     "Hmmph! Phones today too confusing! Uncle will go make tea. Call me when you find something helpful; like inscriptions."

     It took almost three minutes to send the image, but it made it through with pretty good quality. Captain Black put it up on a mobile projector while Jade started on the next. Jackie leaned forward to study it closely, "This is odd, I've never seen anything like it...not from any civilization I know of..."

     "What about those you don't?" Jade, snapped a picture of the torch sconce, and leaned against the bars of her cell while she sent it, "What're the odds Daolong Wong found some magical place for his evil lair?"

     "Good point...pretty high I think."

     Jade, peered across at her backpack, but she couldn't think of anything of real use against a sorcerer as powerful as Daolong Wong. But back at Section 13...after all, she couldn't really get into _more_ trouble than she was in...

     "Jackie, um...under the dresser in my room there's a loose floorboard...there's a...Cracker Jack bag...and...uh..."

      Jackie was bewildered, "What's that got to do with anything?"

     "Well...um..." Jade stammered to a halt. She hated doing this sort of thing, he'd probably be angry she had hidden the Talismans, and maybe disappointed too. He wasn't _really_ angry with her when she happened to show up everywhere he went, more exasperated than anything, and when he _was_ angry, it made her feel horrible inside. "There are...well..."

      Suddenly her muscles felt like fire was running through her veins; she screamed, but her lungs couldn't draw in enough air, so it came out more like a choking squeal. A pale hand, with long, cracked fingernails plucked the phone from her hand; she tried to hold on to it, but she was totally immobilized. A familiar voice sounded in her ear.

     "Hello, Chan. I hope you are not worrying overmuch about your niece's well-being. She is safe with me," said Daolong Wong. It was official; the dark sorcerer was back.

     Jackie's voice came through the phone, "What?! Jade! What have you done with her?!"

     "Don't worry, she's just locked in a dungeon. I won't hurt her...yet. I want to speak to the old man."

     There was a pause, "Uh...Uncle! Daolong Wong is on the phone, he wants to talk to you!"

     "Aiyaa! Why are you on phone with dark wizard! You're supposed to be finding Jade!"

     Jade thought she heard a thump, and a cry of pain and surprise from Jackie. She strained, and was able to wrench her head around enough to see Wong from the corner of her eye.

     "Who is this? Give Jade back or you get piece of Uncle!"

     "This is Daolong Wong you old, senile fool!"

     "Who're you calling old?! Uncle has more color in his hair than in your whole body!"

     "Silence, I have a deal to make. If you want the girl back, you have forty-eight hours to surrender yourself to me at the place they call Yellowstone. I will guarantee your safety from me and my servants. If you do not, she will be returned one piece at a time. Choose wisely. The girl will pay for any treachery her life."

     There was a crunching sound as Daolong Wong crushed the device in his grip. Fragments of glass and circuitry fell to the floor. He waved his hand, and the fire in Jade's muscles faded, and the ability to move returned. She lurched away from him, and slumped against the opposite wall, "Hey! There was no call to break it too!"

     "Shut up, stupid child! Be content I intend to honor your ransom; I would prefer to kill you for your insolence!" Daolong Wong glared at her, unconsciously wringing his hands in fury.

_He's angry I'm not showing him respect,_ she realized. Jade decided to rankle him a bit more, "What's with the tiara? You can't have won a beauty pageant..."

     Wong's hand flew reflexively to the golden band around his forehead, and his mismatched eyes blazed furiously, "It's a diadem! The Cir..." He started to shout, but then stopped abruptly, and went back to his stony glare. "Never mind what it is. You just hope your family cares enough to trade for you." He stalked away muttering to himself.

     She sighed, and turned back to her cell; Uncle would give himself up, but then who'd defeat Daolong Wong? There was only one good solution to this; she'd have to escape on her own.

     Jackie let the phone drop to the table, "Jade..."

     Uncle was already halfway up the stairs, "Tohru! Come quickly! You must help Uncle pack! Yellowstone long way away, and time is TICKING!"

     "You can't seriously intend to give yourself up!" Jackie exclaimed, "I need your help to save Jade!"

     "Daolong Wong will keep his deal; trust Uncle on this. We do not have time for better plan; we must rescue Jade!"

     "But who will rescue you?" Jackie shouted, "We just trade one problem for another!"

     Captain Black added his bit, "I have to agree, Mr. Chan, with Wong loose we need your magic backup. You always say, "magic must defeat magic". I've learned to trust you on that."

     "Do you want Daolong Wong to kill Jade?! NOO! Then we must make trade! Tohru will stop Wong."

     His former Chi apprentice gulped, "Me, Sensei? But..I do not have the skill to deal with him!"

     "You're full Chi master now, aren't you?! Do you mean Uncle is bad teacher?!"

     "Of course not!"

     "Then you will do fine!...One more thing; Daolong Wong does not know how strong you are now. Do not waste surprise."

     "I..." Tohru fingered something on a cord around his neck, "I will not let you down, Sensei."

     As the two walked up the stairs, Captain Black leaned forward on his elbows to speak to Jackie, "I think we ought to cover all our bases; I'll have surveillance set up, better yet, I'll go myself. With luck Daolong Wong will lead us back to his hideout."

     "Good idea; I didn't think of that."

     "I've done this sort of thing before. Never lost a ransom yet."

     "I hope this won't be the first time..."

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

     Hsi Wu floated through limbo. Through some unnatural trick of the air currents and gravity it took almost no effort at the moment. That could change in an instant though, a shift could send him plummeting down, or at least what counted as down when there was nothing but space in all directions. The netherworld would almost be bearable if it wasn't for all the inexplicable, random fluctuations. He sighed, and settled down onto a rock he had been dragging along with his tail; it was very useful to have a perch handy, and this floating rock was unlike any of the others that were the only unchanging part of the netherworld. He looked around; he was in a large open area with no other rocks; wouldn't do to have a pair come up and squish him while he wasn't paying attention, and he couldn't see any of the other demons around either.

     The Lord of the Sky wrapped his wings about him; looking like a huge, upside down bat roosting on a rock not attached to anything at all. He reached down, and shifted a large boulder aside, revealing a narrow crevice. After feeling around inside with one clawed hand, he drew forth the strange object that meddling girl had left behind. A truly wondrous device; though whatever magic drove it had long ago ceased to operate. Very strange magic, since Hsi Wu, who considered himself very knowledgeable about such matters, could not discover the spell. He'd used every power he knew, and was no closer to making it work than when it had died. He sighed, and turned it over in his hands. Someday he'd figure it out; there wasn't much else to do and he had eternity.

     He gently tapped the protrusions on its surface; they all had what he thought might be activating marks to the spell engraved on them; but there was no magical residue he could sense. Maybe the secret lay in the strange capsules behind the removable panel; the markings on them looked like lightning; so he had almost asked Tchang Zu to help. Of course, the thunder demon would likely have vaporized the object, so he hadn't bothered.

     Suddenly reality seemed to twist around him. He snatched up the thing protectively in his arms; if he dropped it, he might never find it again. The sense of warping continued, and Hsi Wu knew this was no random fluctuation in the fabric of the netherworld. Perhaps he was in one of those rips in space and time Shendu was always going on about...then he felt the shrinking feeling; like all his flesh was falling inwards towards his bones. He couldn't believe it; after all these millennia, the ancient safeguards he had set up were finally being used! He was getting out of this hellhole!

     Even though there was no one around to hear he shouted anyway, "Farewell my brethren! I hope I never see you again!" Moments later, everything dissolved into light.


	5. Chapter Four: Reunion

_There has to be a weak point somewhere..._

     That was the only thought that kept Jade going as she combed her cell from top to bottom, trying to discover some way out. The hinges, for all their apparent age, seemed sturdy as ever, and the lock had proved too difficult to pick. She tapped along the side walls and picked at the mortar; the adjacent cells were open, and if she could get through...but the walls were built of huge slabs as big as her, and even if there was only one layer it was still too big for her to move.

_What I wouldn't give for the Ox talisman right now..._ she thought to herself, _Or the Dragon, or Monkey, or any of them really_. She sat back against the wall, and tried to see anything she'd missed. _Door's no good, it's too well made, and these blocks in the walls are so darn big. Grrr...If I can break into the Section 13 vault I should be able to find something here..._

     Jade uttered a irritated sigh and raised a hand to brush her midnight locks out of her eyes, then froze. A warm current of air tickled the back of her hand. Carefully, she followed the stream back towards the wall; tracing its path with her finger.

     There. A tiny hole, almost invisible in the carvings. Looking closely, she could see many more similar holes dotting one particular block. _Some sort of vent?_ She thought, _Why would an ancient castle have a ventilation system with heating?_

     Whatever its origins, the vent was the most obvious weak point in the cell. Jade rapped her knuckles on the stone, and it gave a hollow _thunk_. Next she scratched at the mortar holding it in place; tiny bits came loose and fell to the floor. It was thin then, and loose. An hour before, a hulking Dark Chi warrior had brought her a piece of stale bread, water, and what she hoped was some sort of oatmeal. She took the nice metal spoon and began to chip away at the mortar.

**~~~~~~~~~~**

     Far away, Jackie lugged the last suitcase down the stairs. He looked around to ask Uncle if there were any more things needed carrying, but the old man was nowhere to be seen.

     He found him with Tohru in the study, both poring over the same volume and arguing heatedly about the finer points of Chi magic.

     "But wouldn't rattlesnake skin work just as well as the vellum, Sensei? The bit we had got wet and it looks like there's mold growing on it..."

     "Hacha! Nothing wrong with vellum! Give spell extra kick!"

     "Well..."

     Jackie gave a polite cough, and both turned to look at him, "We need to be leaving soon. Captain Black has arraigned everything."

     Uncle turned back to the book, "One more thing. We must finish locator spell first if you want to find Daolong Wong's lair when he takes Uncle there."

     "But I thought you _couldn't_ make a locator spell!"

     "Spell to find something we do not have, veeeryy difficult. Spell to find something we have right now, easy. Now if Tohru will give Uncle vellum we can get this done!"

     "As you wish, Sensei"

     "One more thing," Uncle turned back to Jackie, "Daolong Wong would not have come out of hiding without a plan to acquire powerful magic. He is very predictable; he will try to subject the world to the forces of darkness. You must find out what he is looking for."

     "Looking for? You mean some sort of artifact? I've got a bad feeling about this..."

**~~~~~~~~~~**

     Jade wiggled the spoon a tiny bit farther into the crack, then stepped back to admire her handiwork. After an hour or so scraping she had finally weakened the mortar enough to loosen the thin slab that covered the vent. All she had to do now was pry it out, with a little help from her trusty spoon; it made a perfect little lever.

     Backing up to the door of her cell, Jade took a deep breath and launched herself at the spoon feet first in a flying kick. There was a crack, and the edge of the slab shifted outward just enough for her to get a grip on it. It was a good thing too, since her spoon was bent almost forty-five degrees from being straight. With a few good heaves, she pulled the slab of stone out of the wall, revealing a narrow tunnel. Jade grinned, _There's barely enough room for me, so no Dark Warrior's going to be able to follow._

     Jade dug in her backpack until she found a small penlight, then tangled the straps of the bag around her legs and squirmed into the passage headfirst. Flat on her belly, with the light clenched in her teeth, she inched along. After a few feet, it joined a larger duct at a right angle, and she had to contort her body quite uncomfortably to get around it. This new tunnel was slightly bigger, and had a very noticeable flow. _Going upwind will likely lead to the main line,_ Jade reasoned, drawing on her experience exploring Section 13's system. _I can get anywhere in the castle from there. Plus it'll probably be easier to move in._ She reached out and began the long process of crawling along.

     Daolong Wong was putting the finishing touches on the room he had selected to hold the cursed old man. Dark spells layered the walls, and writhed in the floors. Spells against everything and anything. The sorcerer was confident that no good magic would function within; with prisoners, especially magically endowed ones, you always had to be meticulous. He scanned the furniture, all similarly ensorcelled, to see if he had missed anything. The dungeons here were nice and horrible, but part of the bargain was the old man's safety, and dungeons like that were not known as safe havens for the elderly.

     It came to him that he hadn't ordered his minions to check on the girl in some time, and while they certainly were competent in the fighting arts, they didn't seem to have much initiative or responsibility. He sent a mental command to Chui, who seemed to take the lead among them. _Do a routine inspection of the girl's cell, and repeat it every hour. I will know if you do not, and it will be unpleasant._

_Yo boss,_ came the reply _, Strikemaster Ice's got it covered, like cheese on sauce._

_Good._ Daolong Wong rubbed his hands in gleeful anticipation. These new warriors were much better than the other lot he'd taken from that petty criminal what's-his-name. The triumph of darkness was inevitable. The power within stirred, sensing his excitement. _Not long now,_ he thought. _We shall rule all!_

     Jade peered out through another grate. The holes in this one were much larger, so that she could actually see out into the room it fed. It looked like some sort of library or study. Bookshelves lined the walls, except for the door and three large windows, but two long tables held even more volumes stacked haphazardly. In the center was a marble pedestal, looking oddly out of place. Best of all, however, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust, meaning that Daolong Wong and his minions hadn't been in there. _This castle would be so much fun to explore if I didn't have to hide from Dark Chi Warriors...maybe Jackie'll come here for an archeology trip later._

     She crawled back into the previous tunnel, and wriggled until she could shift around to go feet-first. Once she reached the grate again, she pulled her knees up to her chest, prayed that none of Wong's minions were passing by in the hall, and kicked out as hard as she could.

_Crunch!_

     The grate shifted outwards, but held. Jade sighed and repeated the process. And did it again. And again. And again.

     After many more tries, it finally broke and fell to the floor with a crash. She hopped out of the airway tunnel, and rushed to the door of the room, to see if anyone had heard the noise. The corridor was deserted, and just as dust-coated as the room. It was perfectly safe.

     Reassured, Jade turned her attention back to the rest of the room. _The books might hint at where this weird place is..._ she thought, reaching for one. Opening the covers of the top one of the nearest stack, she was confronted with a host of unfamiliar characters. They looked like some form of Chinese, but either the writer was _really_ sloppy, or this was some dialect she'd never seen before. Probably the latter.

     The pedestal caught her eye next, it was totally out of place in the room, with its somber colors and plain furnishings. It was taller than she was, so she had to stand on tiptoe to reach whatever was on it. Feeling around on top, her hand brushed something metallic. Her fingers scrabbled at it and pulled it towards her. A thin chain, with a pendant, or something on it. She tugged, to pull it off the pedestal, and it swung like a pendulum

     Jade lifted the chain to examine the pendant. A copper ring, strangely twisted, _What's that called,_ she thought, _Oh, yeah, a Moebius strip._ Suspended from four tiny silver chains was a minute onyx figurine, each chain running from a limb to the inner edge of the ring. One of the tiny statue's arms was held out in command or supplication; she couldn't tell. It had the three-pronged crest, the bat-like wings and long, pointed ears that haunted her nightmares. Her eyes widened; it was her old "friend"...the demon sorcerer of Sky; Hsi Wu.

     Holding the ring between forefinger and thumb, she held it up to her eye for closer examination. It was definitely him; exactly as she remembered, perfect in every detail, just much smaller. She nudged it with her finger and it swung slowly on the chains. _What is this of all th-_ "Ouch!"

     She yanked her finger away, and stuck it in her mouth. It was _very_ precise, the claws were sharp as needles. After a moment, the pain faded, so she wiped her hand on her jacket and examined the wounded digit. A tiny bead of ruby-red blood welled up.

     Jade cast an irritated glance at the effigy, _It figures; Hsi Wu must be haunting me from the netherworld..._

     A spark leapt from the statuette to the ring, causing the carved patterns to flash with a red light. Too late, she noticed the tiny red stain on the figurine's outstretched claw. A drop of blood...hers.

     Her first thought to hurl the pendant away, and run, but some deep instinct told her not to. Curiosity won out, as usual, and she peered intently at the obviously magical device. Suddenly, the tiny statue was sucked back through the ring, like a vacuum was on the other side. It fell away from the ring, the frail chains lengthening, thinning to threads, and then cobwebs, then nothing. Jade snatched at it, but it slipped through her fingers. As it fell, it grew, becoming misty and ethereal. When it reached the floor it was nearly seven feet tall.

     The girl took a step back. Maybe running hadn't been such a bad idea...

     The mist darkened, took on substance, and became solid. Fire-red eyes opened, and blinked before focusing on her. Hsi Wu stared at her, "You?! H-"

     "Hiyaaah!"

     Jade leapt and planted her foot right between the Sky demon's eyes. Years of pent-up anger fueled the blow, anger that had only partially abated when he was banished into the netherworld. Hsi Wu was bowled over backwards, his bat-like wings crumpling beneath him. She landed, and spun into another kick, catching him on the jaw just as he struggled to sit up. The demon grunted and toppled sideways. Just on the verge of another crushing blow, she hesitated; Hsi Wu wasn't fighting back at all; he had raised his arms to protect his head, trying to crawl away, but that was all. Not going for her throat with his talons, like she would've thought. Even weirder, the look in his eyes was almost... _fearful_...but he was a demon, so that couldn't be right.

     She straightened, and dropped her hands to her sides. Jackie had always said the worst sort of fighting was where the other person didn't want to. Hsi Wu noticed her relaxing her guard, and pushed himself upright. Now he looked more confused than anything. Jade glared at him frostily, and he flinched.

     There was an awkward silence.

     Then the Sky demon spoke.

     "What are _you_ of all humans doing in _MY_ castle?!"


End file.
